Monday, 16 April 2012

Choc chip muesli slice

I've spent some time recently looking at muesli bar recipes. In my travels around the web, I have come across some interesting applesauce granola. Finally I had a chance to try it (though I can't help but call it muesli as I have done all my life). I meddled with the recipe and found it wasn't such a great idea to leave out the brown sugar. Fortunately I also had a decadent muesli slice recipe to try that could do with some virtuous muesli.

It was a few weeks ago that I made the muesli on a lazy weekend morning. I don't make muesli often enough. If I made it more, I would understand how much sweetness I need to make it palatable, I would go through more of the nuts and seeds that hang around in the pantry, but I suspect that Sylvia would not thank me for using up the berry mix that she loves so much. This applesauce muesli had a lovely toasted texture so I may try it again with a tad more sweetener.

But a barely sweet muesli makes sense in a muesli bar recipe that is chock full of condensed milk and choc chips. I don't claim that this is health food. All I will say is that it is a delicious way to eat oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

We all loved the muesli slice. I was pleased it held together well, even though the middle pieces were quite sticky. Sylvia made an excellent job of proving that the slice crumbled easily when eaten - in her case that was all over the loungeroom rug! She did love it when she had a piece, even if not much of it ended up in her mouth. E said it was much nicer than my usual muesli slices. I think he particularly loved the choc chips.

For myself, I am pleased that we still have some muesli slice in the house. It has been a busy month and I love having some to take to work for a satisfying mid morning snack. The slice is particularly welcome after riding my bike to work, as I found this morning. I still have a little muesli leftover. Perhaps I could have it for breakfast tomorrow with some fruit yoghurt!

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Tip into a greased and lined lamington tin (9 x 13 inch). Bake at 180 C for about 30 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown on top. Mine were still a bit sticky in the middle, and looked a little undercooked on the bottom but I prefer this rather than too crisp around the edges. Cool in tray and then cut into squares (or bars if you wish) on a large chopping board. Keeps at least a week in an airtight container.

Mix all ingredients (except dried fruit) in a large roasting tin. Bake at 160 C (300 F) for about45-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until golden brown. Stir in dried fruit. Cool in the tin and store in an airtight container.

I don't like muesli but I do like muesli bars and like the look of this one very much. I also like raw oats with apple sauce and yoghurt, which makes me think that this is a muesli I could perhaps enjoy. I think if I took most of the ingredients and mixed them up uncooked, I'd be very happy indeed! I imagine this muesli would make great biscuits too.

Thanks Kari - maybe you could mix the muesli and just bake it a little so it is not really soggy but is not toasted. The you would have the apple flavour without the crispiness! Or just making muesli bars and biscuits with it sounds quite smart!

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Recipes and reflections in which our vegetarian heroine dreams of being tall and graceful as a giraffe; being a goddess in the kitchen; and being gladdened by green gadgets, green food and green politics because green is the colour of hope. See About Me for more info.